Traveling vehicle and traveling vehicle system

Abstract

A traveling vehicle travels along a traveling path and includes a main body, a traveler to allow a main body to travel along the traveling path, an LED array provided at the main body to switch a display manner according to a state of the traveling vehicle, an imager to capture an image of the LED array at a traveling vehicle located ahead of the traveling vehicle, and a controller configured or programmed to acquire a state of the traveling vehicle ahead based on the display manner captured by the imager, and to control the traveler of the traveling vehicle based on the acquired state.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A traveling vehicle that travels along a predetermined traveling path, the traveling vehicle comprising:
 a main body; 
 a traveler to allow the main body to travel along the traveling path; 
 a display located at the main body to switch a display manner according to a state of the traveling vehicle; 
 an imager to capture an image of the display provided at a front traveling vehicle located ahead of the traveling vehicle; and 
 a controller configured or programmed to acquire a state of the front traveling vehicle based on the display manner captured by the imager, and to control the traveler of the traveling vehicle based on the acquired state; wherein 
 the display switches the display manner according to a traveling state of the traveling vehicle; and 
 the traveling state includes an accelerated state and a decelerated state. 
 
     
     
       2. The traveling vehicle according to  claim 1 , wherein the display switches the display manner according to a present location of the traveling vehicle. 
     
     
       3. The traveling vehicle according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the traveling vehicle further includes an identifier disposed at or adjacent to the display; and 
 the controller is configured or programmed to acquire a state of the front traveling vehicle based on the display manner captured by the imager and a positional relation between the display and the identifier, and to control the traveler of the traveling vehicle based on the acquired state. 
 
     
     
       4. A traveling vehicle system comprising a plurality of the traveling vehicles according to  claim 2 . 
     
     
       5. The traveling vehicle system according to  claim 4 , further comprising a mirror located along the traveling path to reflect the display disposed at the front traveling vehicle; wherein
 the controller is configured or programmed to acquire a state of the front traveling vehicle based on the display manner captured by the imager through the mirror. 
 
     
     
       6. The traveling vehicle according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the traveling vehicle further includes an identifier disposed at or adjacent to the display; and 
 the controller is configured or programmed to acquire a state of the front traveling vehicle based on the display manner captured by the imager and a positional relation between the display and the identifier, and to control the traveler of the traveling vehicle based on the acquired state. 
 
     
     
       7. A traveling vehicle system comprising a plurality of the traveling vehicles according to  claim 6 . 
     
     
       8. The traveling vehicle system according to  claim 7 , further comprising a mirror located along the traveling path to reflect the display disposed at the front traveling vehicle; wherein
 the controller is configured or programmed to acquire a state of the front traveling vehicle based on the display manner captured by the imager through the mirror. 
 
     
     
       9. A traveling vehicle system comprising a plurality of the traveling vehicles according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
       10. The traveling vehicle system according to  claim 9 , further comprising a mirror located along the traveling path to reflect the display disposed at the front traveling vehicle; wherein
 the controller is configured or programmed to acquire a state of the front traveling vehicle based on the display manner captured by the imager through the mirror.